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Voting for the 2014 Texas Champion Claimer Award is now open. Claiming horses fill the vast majority of race cards every day, but these hard-workers rarely receive recognition so the Texas Thoroughbred Association created the Texas Champion Claimer Award. The winning horse and his or her connections will be recognized alongside the other 2014 Texas Champions at the TTA Annual Conference and Awards Banquet at Lone Star Park this summer.

The Texas Champion Claimer Award is for Accredited Texas-breds who won at least three claiming or allowance/optional claiming races at Texas racetracks last year.

The winner of the Texas Champion Claimer Award will be determined by online voting. Only one vote will be counted per person and automated attempts to vote or duplicate votes will be disallowed. Voting closes on Monday, March 16 at 5 p.m. Central. Results will be posted online the following week.

Below are the candidates for this year’s award and a listing of their connections as of their last start in 2014. To learn more about each horse and review complete past performance information from Equibase, click on the name of any horse. The voting form is below the list of horses. Read more

Last year, at the request of Texas horsemen, the Texas Racing Commission proposed draft rules to regulate and implement pari-mutuel wagering on historical races. The proposed rules were published in the Texas Register and over 13,000 comments, mostly favorable, were received by the agency. Those rules were adopted in August.

Now, the TRC is under fire. Although the agency is funded through industry fees, those fees must be appropriated through the state budget, and Article VIII of Senate Bill 2, (the Senate version of the state budget bill) essentially defunds the Texas Racing Commission.

We need your help!

Please contact your state senator and representative as soon as possible, via email, fax or telephone.

Let him/her know that the Texas Racing Commission provides a vital service to the state and the industry by enforcing the Texas Racing Act and its Rules. Commission oversight ensures the health, safety and welfare of all racing participants, which include jockeys as well as race animals. Additionally, Commission oversight is vital to ensure the integrity of pari-mutuel wagering for the benefit of all patrons and participants.

The proposed elimination of funding for the Racing Commission would have dire consequences for each and every participant in racing and negatively impact the businesses that rely on it.

Texans who make their living in the racing industry need the Texas Racing Commission and support it as it currently exists, and in its current form.

Be sure to thank your legislators for their time and seek their assistance in securing budget funding for the Texas Racing Commission.

Since the senate version of the state budget defunds the Texas Racing Commission, now would be a perfect time for you to contact your legislators. We urge you to be polite and respectful in addressing the vital role the TRC plays in regulating the horse racing industry, and ask for the legislator’s help in assuring budget funding for the Commission.

JERSEY LILLY AND TEXAS HERITAGE STAKES TO BE CONTESTED IN THE MAXXAM GOLD CUP RACING FESTIVALThe Maxxam Gold Racing Festival is set for Saturday night at Sam Houston Race Park and will feature three stakes. The $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup will be run as the 9th race of the Saturday evening card, which gets underway at 6:10 pm (CT). The $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes for 3-year-olds at a distance of one mile is set as race 8 and the $50,000 Jersey Lilly Stakes for fillies and mares going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf will run as the 7th race.

F J Uncle Vic (Uncle Abbie – Let Her Reign) is the lone Accredited Texas-bred entered in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup. The 4-year-old was the winner of the 2014 Allen’s Landing and 2015 Star of Texas Stakes at Sam Houston. Trainer Terry Eoff owns the colt in partnership with Johnny Evans. Read more

THIS WEEKEND AT SAM HOUSTON RACE PARK
Weekend festivities kick off on Friday evening with an appearance by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Presented by Anheuser-Busch and Silver Eagle Distributors, the legendary Clydesdales with lead driver Manny Raber, plus their trusty companion, a 2-year-old Dalmatian named Clyde, will perform live on the track following Friday night’s first horse race with a 7:00 pm post time, weather permitting.

The popular Wiener Dog races at Sam Houston Race Park will take on a new twist on Saturday. This year, Houston’s fastest Wiener Dogs will have competition from small dogs of other breeds in the first ever Derby Dog Dash. The dogs will compete between live Thoroughbred races, going approximately 30 yards.

In addition to racing events, Sam Houston Race Park will offer $1 Hot Dogs, and offer families a chance to bring their four legged best friend to watch the dog races from our pet friendly Pavilion.

This weekend’s feature race is the $50,000 Sam Houston Sprint Cup. A contentious field of nine will compete in the six furlong contest on Saturday. Read more

SATURDAY STAKES AT SAM HOUSTON RACE PARK
Sam Houston Race Park will present three stakes on Saturday, February 14. The Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes Series includes the $75,000 Two Altazano Stakes (race 8) and the $75,000 Jim’s Orbit Stakes (race 6), both at 7 furlongs for 3-year-olds sired by nominated Accredited Texas-bred stallions. The third feature, the $50,000 Jersey Village Turf Stakes, is for 4-year-olds and up on the Connally Turf Course. Read more

The Paddock Foundation, a non-profit organization launched by the Texas Thoroughbred Association to support and advance Thoroughbred aftercare, is pleased to announce the inaugural Roses to Ribbons Old Fashioned Horse Fair will be held March 8 at 11 a.m. at Sam Houston Race Park.

The event is designed to promote Thoroughbred horses moving to new careers after racing. There will be horses available and a chance for prospective buyers to meet with racehorse trainers and tell them what kind of horse they are looking for. Racehorse rehoming organizations will be there as well. There will also be tack available for sale and swap along with concessions. This event is also an opportunity for owners and trainers to find a new home for their racehorses who are ready to exit the racetrack.

“Part of our responsibility as racehorse owners, breeders and trainers is to help further the education and careers of these horses once they leave the racetrack,” said Mary Ruyle, executive director of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. “We hope this event is another step forward in achieving that goal, and we invite everyone from the racing industry and those outside the industry to attend.”

TTA NIGHT AT THE RACES

Join us for TTA Night at the Races at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday, February 14th! In addition to being Valentine’s Day, it is also the Clarence Scharbauer Jr. Texas Stallion Stakes Series weekend, with filly and colt/gelding divisions each worth $75,000. The evening’s race card will include the $50,000 Jersey Village Turf Stakes for 4-year-olds and up going a mile and 1/16th.

You will be able to enter for a prize drawing, courtesy of EquineSavings.com, enjoy the company of fellow TTA members and an evening of great racing.

This event is expected to sell out quickly, so make your online reservations as soon as possible; just copy and paste this link into your browser:

Texas lawmakers fire back at Racing Commission

Texas racing commissioners approved a plan last year to allow historical racing — replaying past races on devices that sound and look much like slot machines.

The horse-racing industry was looking forward to getting a financial boost from the machines at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie and other major tracks. But a number of lawmakers objected, saying that only the Legislature can move to expand gambling in the state.

Now legislators are firing back, making some proponents of historical racing worry that their plans could be sidetracked.

One lawmaker filed a state budget that strips funding from the Racing Commission. Another wants to dissolve it entirely and transfer its duties to another agency. Read more

The Paddock Foundation is pleased to announce the Roses to Ribbons Old Fashioned Horse Fair to be held March 8 at 11 a.m. at Sam Houston Race Park. This event is designed to promote Thoroughbred horses moving to new careers after racing. There will be horses available for sale and a chance to meet with racehorse trainers and tell them what kind of horse you are looking for. Racehorse rehoming organizations will be there as well. There will be a tack swap and sell, and concessions.

This event is also an opportunity for owners and trainers to find a new home for their racehorses who are ready to exit the racetrack.

BUCHAREST STAKES DRAWS A FIELD OF SIX
The $50,000 Bucharest Turf Sprint for Accredited Texas-bred 4-year-olds and up going 5 furlongs on the Sam Houston Race Park turf has drawn a competitive field of six.

Solar Charge (Authenticate – Another Sunlit) is the 2-1 favorite with a career record of 54-15-12-11 with $452,094 in earnings. Bred by Carolyn Barnett, the 8-year-old gelding runs for Barnett and partners David and Lana Alford. Ellen Williams will send out Solar Charge from post position 5 with jockey Lindey Wade in the irons.

LSP STAKES SCHEDULE; TEXAS MILE MOVED TO A FRIDAY NIGHT
Lone Star Park will kick off the 2015 Thoroughbred meet with the $50,000 Premiere Stakes on Thursday, April 9th, followed by the $50,000 Wayne Hanks Memorial on April 11.

Traditionally run on a Saturday, the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile will be a Friday night affair (April 24) for the first time this season at Lone Star Park. The Texas Mile and the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Park Handicap are the richest offerings among 11 stakes worth a cumulative $1 million for the 50-date meet, which runs April 9 through July 19. Read more